


win rate

by Alienu



Series: MCC fics [3]
Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Comfort, Fluff, Help, I LOVE KARLNAP, Implied Relationships, KARLNAP NATION FOREVER, M/M, THIS WAS WRITTEN AT 5 AM, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Wholesome, im so sleep deprived, minecraft championship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-13
Updated: 2020-12-13
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:55:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28047285
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alienu/pseuds/Alienu
Summary: Sapnap is a competitive person.Karl is not.Somehow, they fit.
Relationships: Clay | Dream/GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF), Karl Jacobs/Sapnap
Series: MCC fics [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2053341
Comments: 44
Kudos: 614
Collections: MCYT





	win rate

In all actuality, Sapnap probably should’ve seen this one coming.

He should’ve known that Build Mart would’ve been picked. It was the better choice for most teams, after all, and he honestly should’ve expected it. Though it didn’t stop the surprise from rising when Build Mart was announced as the last minigame, nor the bitterness from his team’s placement.

It’s bullshit.

He knows he shouldn’t be feeling this way, feeling so angry and dejected for placing fourth in a tournament without any real prize. All of this is for fun, and he knows that, yet annoyance still bites at his skin. He sighs, nudging his way gently through the mass of people, ignoring the glance that Quackity shoots him and tuning out the giggles from George as Dream presses kisses to the side of his face, the former pulling at the pink bow wrapped nicely around Dream’s head. The sky is dark, only scattered lanterns lighting up the paved walkways. It’s always nighttime when MCC ends. Sapnap likes it that way. 

He veers right, heading not towards the sandy beach, but instead towards the dark forest. His breath appears in the form of a cloud of white, puffing out with every breath he takes and disappearing a second later. Snow gathers heavy on the trees’ boughs, making them droop under the weight. He gnaws on his lip absentmindedly, pace faltering as orange eyes catch on to the bright screen in front of a large building, running over the names it displays in big letters of red and green. Sapnap doesn’t care for that particular leaderboard. He ducks into the building after a brief moment of debate. The air in here is warmer than outside.

The individual standings are where they have always been, at the back of the building. Sapnap sees his character, placed on one of the higher podiums, and his eyes are immediately drawn to the flash of bright green near the end. Dream placed seventh. A bit of satisfaction tugs at his gut, satisfaction from placing higher than Dream, a person said to be one of the best competitors ever. It doesn’t make the bitterness go away fully, but fourth place individual isn’t bad. He sighs.

“Don’t tell me you’re being a nimrod again.”

Sapnap jerks his head to the side, alarm prickling his skin for a brief moment at the unexpected presence. He relaxes a second later, the voice striking a familiar chord, the tone so lighthearted and carefree that it couldn’t be anyone else. Karl rolls his eyes at the other from his place beside the noiret, crossing his arms. 

“It’s not Nimrod November anymore, remember?” He teases gently.

A puff of laughter passes from between Sapnap’s lips, the man tilting his head back a little. “Yeah,” he scoffs lightheartedly, “it’s Dumptruck Dream December.”

“Dimwit December,” Karl corrects, his cheerful grin softening into a more affectionate one when the jokes die down. His tone is soft, concern lilting the words when he asks, “Are you okay?”

“Fine,” Sapnap shrugs, turning his gaze back to the individual standings. “Just a little salty,” He offers him a slight smile, “my team did good and then we lost ‘cause of Build Mart. It was dumb.”

Karl shrugs, “You popped off during Battle Box, though!” He says optimistically. “I can't believe you helped kill me. That’s nimrod behavior.”

Sapnap crosses his arms defensively, “I had to do what I had to do!”

“You’re a sweat.” Karl says drily.

“I’m _determined._ ” Sapnap retorts.

The brunet relents, tilting his head a bit to concede victory. “You’re that too,” he admits softly. “That’s what I admire about you.”

Sapnap blinks. Heat blooms on his cheeks, chest tightening a little from the words. He isn’t sure whether or not the redness in his face is due to the cold or the man beside him, but a smile tugs at his lips and suddenly he isn’t feeling so bitter anymore. He doesn’t know exactly how to respond to something like that, so instead they fall into a silence. Sapnap takes the time to shove his hands into his pockets.

It’s a moment before Karl speaks again. “You know you did really good, right?”

“I mean, yeah,” Sapnap rolls his eyes, throwing up the confident facade that he’s always had, “I always do good.” He pauses, “It was Dream’s fault that Build Mart got chosen, and he didn’t even get top two.” Karl giggles a little.

“Well, he isn’t called a pissbaby for nothing,” he jokes, and Sapnap laughs again, feeling warm. Karl always makes him feel warm, always makes his mind buzz with TV static when he’s nearby. Sapnap thinks that this must be the way Dream feels near George, and vice versa. It’s a nice feeling, this fuzzy warmth that fills him from head to toe whenever Karl speaks, this tingling happiness that sparks on his skin whenever he laughs, the heat in his cheeks that appears — always oscillating on the fine line between red and pink — whenever Karl teases him wearing that familiar cheeky smile.

“How was your team?” Sapnap asks — as he always does — and Karl grins as if he was waiting for the question, launching himself into a detailed story about his experiences with his teammates. Sapnap tries not to feel jealous, hearing the other talk about Ludwig, George, and Fruitberries so animatedly. But he listens along, smiling when Karl giggles or stumbles over his words in his rush to talk, laughing when Karl tells him about the team’s mild annoyance at George flirting with Dream during the minigames, frowning when Karl talks about his setbacks during the games.

“You popped off,” he says again, grinning, “I’m proud of you, even if you are a nimrod.”

“Thanks,” Sapnap says sarcastically, rolling his eyes lightheartedly. Karl laughs again, patting his back.

“I really am proud of you,” he repeats sincerely, without the joke in his voice. “It was just unlucky. Don’t beat yourself up about it.”

“I won’t,” Sapnap smiles faintly, butterflies dancing in his stomach. “Thanks, Karl.”

“Of course.” A pause, and then. “How long are you going to stay?”

“I don’t know,” he admits. “Are you leaving?”

Karl shrugs, “I think I want to go home.” He glances around again, eyes flickering over the decorations briefly before he looks back. Calm swirls of gray meet fiery orange, less of a raging inferno and more of a tamed, bubbling pool of lava, soothed by soft encouragement and reassurances made behind a veil of teasing. 

“I’ll come with you,” he says without thinking, and the smile he gets in return is fully worth the way his voice cracks, embarrassment flooding his cheeks in the form of a blush when it does. Karl wastes no time in twining their fingers together and tugging him along, back to the cool outside air and chirping crickets, in the direction of the swirling purple portals that the event organizers have set up for every contestant. Karl’s hand is warm, and as they stroll towards the portals, he chatters about new countries and future possibilities. He asks Sapnap about his thoughts, and Sapnap gives them. 

Karl makes him feel loved, and Sapnap has never wanted anything more.

**Author's Note:**

> I WROTE THIS AT 5 AM AND HAVE NOT PROOFREAD AT ALL ANYWAY KARLNAP NATION U LOVE ME


End file.
